Flora and Fauna of American Samoa

Coconut Crab

  • Birgus latro is the scientific name.

Sega ole Vao

  • Other terms include Lupe, Ve'a, Iao, Manutagi, and Manuma.

  • EC 20 2008 is mentioned, possibly a reference code or date.

Lupe - Pacific Pigeon

  • Ducula pacifica is the scientific name.

Manutagi

  • Also known as Crimson-crowned Fruit Dove and Purple-capped Fruit Dove.

  • Ptilinopus porphyraceus is the scientific name.

Manuma

  • Also known as Many Colored Fruit Dove.

  • Ptilinopus perousii is the scientific name.

  • EC 20 2006 is mentioned, possibly a reference code or date.

Iao

  • Also known as Wattled Honeyeater.

  • Foulehaio carunculatus is the scientific name.

Cardinal Honeyeater

  • Myzomela cardinalis is the scientific name.

Samoan Starling

  • Aplonis atrifusca is the scientific name.

Polynesian Starling

  • Aplonis tabuensis is the scientific name.

Manu Ali'I

  • Porphyrio porphyrio is the scientific name.

Tua'imeo

  • Gallicolumba stairi is the scientific name.

Segaula

  • Vini australis is the scientific name.

Lulu

  • Tyto alba is the scientific name.

Sea Birds

Sooty Tern

  • Onychoprion fuscatus is the scientific name.

White-Collared Kingfisher

  • Todiramphus chloris is the scientific name.

Brown Booby

  • Sula leucogaster is the scientific name.

Red-footed Booby

  • Sula sula is the scientific name.

Masked Booby

  • Sula dactylatra is the scientific name.

Red Tailed Tropic Bird - Tava'e Ula

  • Phaeton rubricauda is the scientific name.

White Tailed Tropic Bird - Tava'e Sina

  • Phaeton lepturus is the scientific name.

White Tern - Manu Sina

  • Gygis alba is the scientific name.

Gogo

  • Also known as Brown Noddy.

  • Anous stolidus is the scientific name.

Atafa - Great Frigatebird

  • Fregata minor is the scientific name.

Laysan albatross

  • (Phoebastria immutabilis) is the scientific name.

Domesticated Pigeon

American Samoa’s Bats

  • Pe’a pe’a vai or Tagiti (Sheath-tailed Bat).

  • Pe’a vao (Samoan Flying Fox).

  • Pe’a fanua (Tongan Flying Fox).

Pe’a vao - Samoan Flying Fox (Pteropus samoensis)

  • Diet: Fruits, nectar, leaves.

  • Roosting: Tree-roosting.

  • Social Behavior: Generally solitary, small populations.

  • Reproduction: Seasonally monogamous with one young per year.

Tongan Flying Fox (Pe’a fanua) - Pteropus tonganus

  • Diet: Nectar, fruits.

  • Roosting: Tree-roosting.

  • Social Behavior: Generally in groups, large populations.

  • Reproduction: One male mates with many females; one young per year.

Land Snails

  • Trochomorpha sp.

  • Bradybaena sp.

  • Samoana conica

  • Eua zebrina

Gata - Pacific Boa

  • Candoia bibroni is the scientific name.

Brahminy Blind Snake

  • Ramphotyphlops braminus is the scientific name.

  • Tiny eyes are visible in specimen.

  • Found at surface after heavy rainfall (Singapore).

Marine Mammals (Cetaceans) of American Samoa

Pinnipeds

  • Suborder: Pinnipedia ("fin-footed").

  • Carnivores using flippers for movement on land and in water.

  • Spend the majority of their lives swimming and eating in water.

  • Come to land or ice floes to bear young, rest, and molt.

Sirenians

  • Spend their whole lives in water.

  • Only entirely herbivorous group of marine mammals.

  • Named for sirens, the legendary Greek sea beauties.

  • Historic mermaid sightings may have been sirenians.

Marine Fissipeds

  • Considered marine mammals.

  • Spend most of their time on land.

  • Enter water mainly to hunt for food.

Cetaceans

  • Categorized into two main groups: Baleen whales (Mysticetes) and Toothed whales (Odontocetes).

  • Spend their lives in water, with many adaptations to their aquatic lifestyle.

  • Over 70 different species of cetaceans.

Cetacean Abundance Survey - Transect Lines for Tutuila, American Samoa

  • Diagram of transect lines with waypoints indicated.

Difference Between Fish and Whale/Dolphin

  • FISH

    • Tail: Horizontal Movement

    • Cold Blooded

    • Scales

    • No Milk

    • Gills

    • No Hair

  • WHALE/DOLPHIN

    • Fluke: Vertical Movement

    • Warm Blooded

    • Skin

    • Milk

    • Lungs

    • Hair

Taxonomy

  • Kingdom: Animalia

  • Phylum: Chordata

  • Class: Mammalia

  • Order: Cetacea

  • Suborder: Mysticeti and Odontoceti

Odontocete vs Mystecete (Toothed Whales vs Baleen Whales)

Feeding Humpback Whales

I. Odontocetes - Toothed Whales/Dolphins

  • Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus)

  • Short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus)

  • Killer whale (Orcinus orca)

  • Common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

  • Pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata)

  • False killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens)

  • Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris)

  • Blainvilles Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon densirostris)

  • Striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba)

  • Rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis)

  • Spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris)

II. Mysticetes - Baleen Whales

  • Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)

  • Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)

Whale Behaviors

  • Fluke

  • Breach

  • Spy-hop

  • Lob-tail

Sea Turtles of American Samoa

  • Olive Ridley Sea Turtle

  • Leather Back Sea Turtle

  • Green Sea Turtle

  • Hawksbill Turtle

Olive Ridley Sea Turtle

  • Lepidochelys olivacea is the scientific name.

Leatherback

  • Dermochelys coriacea is the scientific name.

Green Sea Turtle

  • Chelonia mydas is the scientific name.

Hawksbill Turtle

  • Eretmochelys imbricata is the scientific name.

Native Trees

  • Aoa (Banyan) Ficus spp.

  • Mamala (Dysoxylum samoense)

  • Moso’oi (Cananga odorata)

  • O’a (Bischofia javanica)

  • Talie (Terminalia catapa)

  • Maali (Canarium vitiensis)

  • Lagaali (Aglaia samoensis)

  • Auauli (Diospyros samoensis)

  • Mamalava (Planchonela samoensis)

  • Asi (Syzigium inophylloides)

  • Tamanu (Calophylum neo-ebudicum)

  • Malili (Terminalia richii)